Jobs

Cardigan is seeking a Dean of Enrollment Management who will build on the legacy of the long-standing enrollment leader who is retiring after decades of service to the school. The Dean will work in partnership with a deeply devoted admission team and the school’s leadership team and trustees to create a clear and strategic multi-year enrollment plan to guide the school in its next chapter. An active, visible, and relational presence on campus, the Dean will serve as a critical force in Cardigan’s continued forward movement and a key thought partner to Head of School Chris Day. The person in this role will provide vision, coordination, and oversight of admission, financial aid, and retention, and ensure that the structures, strategies, and systems that support enrollment are data-informed, efficient, and consistent with current best practices.

Leadership and Team Development
• Serve as a key thought partner to the Head of School and a collaborative, curious, strategic, and engaged member of the senior leadership team
• Lead, supervise, mentor, and support a dedicated admission team, fostering both individual growth and collective success.
• Foster a culture of clear expectations, transparency, and open communication on all matters pertaining to enrollment management.
Enrollment Strategy, Systems, and Data Analytics
• Lead a school-wide conversation about Cardigan’s future student body composition and set clear compositional priorities that guide recruitment, admission decisions, and financial aid.
• Develop and execute data-informed, multi-year enrollment strategies and projections aligned with the school’s mission, strategic priorities, and financial objectives.
• Lead the execution of the enrollment goals in the Strategic Plan for Cardigan 2032, including increasing domestic boarding enrollment, continuing to diversify the international student body, shaping the balance of boarding and day students, and growing financial aid.
• Analyze inquiry, yield, retention, and market trends to inform institutional decision-making.
• Bring intentionality, clarity, and efficiency to the systems and processes of the enrollment office, including the strategic use of Veracross and enrollment analytics.

The Dean of Enrollment Management will be an enrollment leader and community builder who has previously served in roles of considerable responsibility. Competitive candidates will have deep familiarity with strategic enrollment management, admission and financial aid, boarding school life, and the management of complex processes. The most competitive candidates will offer most or all of the following qualifications and qualities:
• A bachelor’s degree required; a master’s degree preferred
• Five or more years of leadership experience in independent school admission or enrollment management, preferably in a boarding school environment
• A documented history of developing and executing strategic enrollment plans, informed by data, market research, and enrollment analytics, and moderated by a skillful and sensitive approach to change
• Experience with financial aid strategy and an understanding of the relationship among enrollment, tuition assistance, net tuition revenue, and institutional sustainability
• Experience in international recruitment, including travel abroad and working with educational agents and consultants
• Proficiency with admission and enrollment platforms (Veracross preferred) and data analytics
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate orally and in writing with inspiration and clarity to both internal and external audiences, including as a strong and charismatic public speaker
• A strong understanding of the developmental needs of middle school boys and of student-athletes, and an ability to articulate why Cardigan’s program and community are particularly well suited to this age and stage
• An institutional perspective — seeing the school and its mission as larger than any single office or constituency, as both a learning community and a vital business
• Experience leading, developing, and supporting a talented, mission-aligned team, with a commitment to openness, collaboration, and new ideas

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact Lisa Parsons and Bill Leahy at Carney Sandoe & Associates.

LISA PARSONS
Senior Consultant
lisa.parsons@carneysandoe.com

BILL LEAHY
Practice Leader: Enrollment Management
Bill.leahy@carneysandoe.com